American Samoa stunned the U.S. in a 38-32 win at the flag football world championship in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Friday, snapping Team USA's 14-year unbeaten streak.
Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, completed 29 of 36 passes for 213 yards and five touchdowns to lead American Samoa to an upset over the reigning champions in the tournament's group stage.
"This is a great victory for our team and our country, but (the) job is not finished, Tagovailoa said postgame. "We've got to continue working. It's a great win, but we're not satisfied."
Prior to Friday's result, the American men's flag-football team hadn't lost a game at the world championship since falling to Austria in the 2012 final, going undefeated at the tournaments in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2024.
U.S. head coach Jorge Cascudo lamented the end of his country's winning streak but credited American Samoa's offensive game plan.
"We'll start a new streak," Cascudo said. "Starting against Australia, we'll start a new streak moving forward. It's part of the game, so I'm not worried about that."
American Samoa just ended the USA's 14-year run without a loss. 😱
— Int’l Fed of American Football (@IFAFMedia) August 14, 2026
The last time USA men lost a competitive match was 2012, a silver medal finish behind Austria at the World Championships. Not anymore… #FlagFootball #IFAF #RoadToLA28 #OlympicQualifiers pic.twitter.com/NXvhz54fHL
Team USA bounced back from the loss with a decisive 40-7 win over Australia to close out group play and earn a spot in the quarterfinals.
The top two teams in both the men's and women's tournaments will qualify for flag football's debut in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The U.S. has already secured its spots at the Games as the host nation.
